MAKING  BETTER  STANDARDS

Specification Languages
UML > UML Example

The UML diagram examples below are all created in the case study of describing the QSIG Private User Mobility Registration (PUMR) service in UML. Only a subset of the available diagram notations in UML is used. The complete case study, as well as the methodology for creating the UML models, is available in EG 202 872.

bullet

Use Case diagram

bullet

Sequence diagram

bullet

Activity diagram

bullet

Object diagram

bullet

Class diagram

 Use Case diagram

The creation of a use case model is an excellent vehicle for elicitation of functional requirements. The activity consists of identifying use cases and actors and describing the details of each use case.

AssociationAssociationAssociationAssociationAssociationAssociationAssociationActorActorUse caseUse caseUse caseUse caseUse caseUse caseUse caseUse case

The use case diagram above describes what services (use cases) that are available for different categories of users (PUM user, Authorized user).

TOP

 Sequence diagram

When describing the details of a use case (service), a sequence diagram is one of the possible diagram kinds to choose from in UML. When making sequence diagrams, you focus on describing the sequences of message interactions between communicating entities. 

Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Message (asynchronous)Lifeline representing an Actor instanceLifeline representing an ActorLifeline representing an instance of a system componentLifeline representing an instance of a system componentLifeline representing an instance of a system componentLifeline representing an instance of a system component

The sequence diagram above describes how the actor (PUM User) initiates the de-registration use case and how the distributed system entities (Visitor, Home) interacts by message interchange in order to carry out the service.

TOP

 Activity diagram

Activity diagrams is another way to describe use case behaviour, focussing on how the behaviour can be broken down in functions, internal to the system or system part.

Initial nodeAction/ActivityAction/ActivityAction/ActivityAction/ActivityAction/ActivityActivity final nodeDecision nodeDecision nodeDecision nodeDecision nodeControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flowControl flow

The activity diagram above describes in what order different functions should be carried out and, if they are optional, under what circumstances the functions should be invoked. 

TOP

 Class diagram

Class diagrams typically describe the different entities of a system as classes and the relation between these. This may for example include

  • system parts and their relation

  • system data

  • interfaces of communicating parts

  • messages and operations of interfaces

  • Class (with Stereotype)Class (with Stereotype)Class (with Stereotype)Class (with Stereotype)Operations/Messages of the InterfaceOperations/Messages of the InterfaceOperations/Messages of the InterfaceInterfaceInterfaceInterfaceInterface realizationInterface realizationInterface realizationAggregationAggregationAggregation

    The class diagram above describes the communicating entities of the PUMR model (Home PINX, Visitor PINX, Directory PINX) and the interfaces with operations/messages that these entities must realize.

    Communication message (Stereotyped class)Communication message (Stereotyped class)Communication message (Stereotyped class)Communication message (Stereotyped class)Communication message (Stereotyped class)Communication message (Stereotyped class)Communication message (Stereotyped class)GeneralizationGeneralizationGeneralizationGeneralizationGeneralizationGeneralization

    The class diagram above shows the different setup messages of the PUMR model and the data these messages carry.

    TOP

     Object diagram

    The object diagram puts the classes in the class diagrams into context and shows how individual instances of classes relate to each other.

     

    LinkLinkLinkLinkInstance specification (of class)Instance specification (of class)Instance specification (of class)Instance specification (of class)Instance specification (of actor)

    The object diagram above describes how the communicating entities in the PUMR system environment relate and the means for communication that exist.

    TOP